Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Vancouver and Cary, NC

For one person, living is cheaper in Vancouver: $2,626 a month against $2,842 in Cary, NC, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Vancouver
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Vancouver Living Index
138

Cost of Living Index in Cary, NC
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Cary, NC Living Index

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Vancouver

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,626

/mo nomad

Cary, NC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,842

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Vancouver and in Cary, NC

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Vancouver and in Cary, NC actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,626 in Vancouver versus $2,842 in Cary, NC.

Vancouver $2,626
Cary, NC $2,842

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,841 in Vancouver versus $4,173 in Cary, NC.

Vancouver $3,841
Cary, NC $4,173

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,056 in Vancouver versus $5,505 in Cary, NC.

Vancouver $5,056
Cary, NC $5,505

Living in Vancouver costs roughly 8% less than in Cary, NC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Vancouver 95% above, Cary, NC 111% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.19 CA$24.30

$19.35 $19.35

-11.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.1 CA$97.6

$99.3 $99.3

-30.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.61 CA$15.00

$10.42 $10.42

1.82%

Cappuccino

$3.83 CA$5.42

$5.06 $5.06

-24.31%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 CA$2.88

$2.03 $2.03

0.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 CA$2.34

$1.85 $1.85

-10.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.54 CA$7.83

$4.51 $4.51

22.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.20 CA$8.77

$6.39 $6.39

-2.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.14 CA$3.02

$1.04 $1.04

105.77%

White Bread (500g)

$2.51 CA$3.54

$5.51 $5.51

-54.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.49 CA$6.35

$6.18 $6.18

-27.35%

Eggs

$4.09 CA$5.78

$4.02 $4.02

1.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.73 CA$16.58

$17.74 $17.74

-33.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.11 CA$18.54

$16.62 $16.62

-21.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.50 CA$27.57

$17.96 $17.96

8.57%

Apples (1kg)

$4.00 CA$5.65

$6.25 $6.25

-36.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 CA$1.94

$1.93 $1.93

-28.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.88 CA$5.48

$3.75 $3.75

3.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.95 CA$5.58

$6.90 $6.90

-42.75%

Potato (1kg)

$2.72 CA$3.85

$3.25 $3.25

-16.31%

Onion (1kg)

$2.86 CA$4.05

$4.17 $4.17

-31.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.46 CA$3.48

$2.97 $2.97

-17.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 CA$2.21

$2.38 $2.38

-34.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.48 CA$21.88

$10.06 $10.06

53.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.75 CA$19.44

$9.71 $9.71

41.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 CA$3.72

$2.33 $2.33

12.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.89 CA$4.09

$4.04 $4.04

-28.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.48 CA$3.51

$2.53 $2.53

-1.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$83.0 CA$117

$78.7 $78.7

5.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.72 CA$3.85

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 CA$2.24

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.05 CA$43.89

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 CA$1.94

$0.93 $0.93

47.31%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$27.7K CA$39.1K

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$19.6K CA$27.8K

$28.7K $28.7K

-31.47%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$82.5 CA$117

$179 $179

-53.89%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$37.26 CA$52.7

$47.18 $47.18

-21.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.7 CA$73.1

$67.6 $67.6

-23.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.87 CA$60.6

$77.8 $77.8

-44.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.40 CA$17.53

$21.88 $21.88

-43.33%

Cinema Ticket

$12.13 CA$17.15

$15.26 $15.26

-20.51%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,102 CA$1,557

$1,455 $1,455

-24.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.8K CA$28.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.4 CA$79.7

$65.9 $65.9

-14.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.43 CA$47.26

$32.18 $32.18

3.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.9 CA$133

$119 $119

-21.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.8 CA$133

$137 $137

-31.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,775 CA$2,509

$1,904 $1,904

-6.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,497 CA$2,116

$1,407 $1,407

6.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,082 CA$4,357

$2,710 $2,710

13.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,416 CA$3,416

$2,162 $2,162

11.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,069 CA$11.4K

$2,859 $2,859

182.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,449 CA$9,118

$2,643 $2,643

144.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,776 CA$5,339

$6,032 $6,032

-37.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.28

6.42

-33.33%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Vancouver: October 10, 2026

Last update for Cary, NC: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Vancouver

$1.5K 57%

Cary, NC

$1.4K 49.5% 6% $89

Groceries & Markets

Vancouver

$392 14.9%

Cary, NC

$486 17.1% 24% $94

Eating Out

Vancouver

$270 10.3%

Cary, NC

$298 10.5% 10.2% $27

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Vancouver

$171 6.5%

Cary, NC

$294 10.3% 71.2% $122

Clothing & Footwear

Vancouver

$125 4.8%

Cary, NC

$160 5.6% 27.8% $35

Getting Around

Vancouver

$104 3.9%

Cary, NC

$89 * 3.1% 14.2% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Vancouver

$67 2.6%

Cary, NC

$108 3.8% 61.4% $41

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,775 in Vancouver and $1,904 in Cary, NC. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cary, NC pays 60% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $69.0 in Vancouver vs $99.0 in Cary, NC for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $392 vs $486 per month, with Vancouver cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Vancouver

🇺🇸 Cary, NC

🕒 Local time

05:33 5:33 AM

08:33 8:33 AM

3 h ahead of Vancouver

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

631,486

176,987

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Vancouver Cary, NC 3,860 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Vancouver
Cary, NC

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Vancouver vs Cary, NC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Vancouver is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 8% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 60% lower in Cary, NC. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,775 in Vancouver versus $1,904 in Cary, NC. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,102 in Vancouver versus $1,455 in Cary, NC. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 24% higher in Cary, NC. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Vancouver is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Vancouver gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Cary, NC. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.